


Dork

by tetskuroo



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bokuto is a dork, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hence the title, Kenma is a dork, M/M, excessive use of the word 'dork', idk just a lot of fluff and love, this is so self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-07-14 18:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7185401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tetskuroo/pseuds/tetskuroo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three times Bokuto calls Kenma a dork and one time Kenma returns the favor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dork

**Author's Note:**

> This is 98% based off of how much I love it when the boy I like calls me a dork - he says it in such a fond tone that it actually makes sad bc he so cute and nice.

If anyone were ever to ask Kenma, he'd say that the word dork was the most endearing term in the world. Yeah, he liked it when Bokuto called him baby or honey or sweetie, and he loved the way Bokuto would perk up whenever Kenma would find the courage to mutter the same words back, but the word dork was a word that Kenma found himself loving more than anything after his years of dating Bokuto.

It sent a certain wave of warmth through him when Bokuto said it, and it officially became his favorite 'pet name' in the world.

*****

The first time Bokuto had called him it, Kenma was a bit offended - he figured that Bokuto really meant it, that he thought Kenma was a dork, that he though Kenma spent way too much time playing video games and watching anime.

Kenma had just went on for a solid three minutes about his new game - getting into all characters, minor and major, explaining the plot in great detail, going on and on about how amazing the fighting moves of his character were, everything really. It was something Kenma hadn't done with Bokuto in the few months they'd been dating; Bokuto didn't much play videos games - besides Mario Kart, which he was fucking terrible at - and Kenma didn't want to scare off Bokuto with all of his ranting about games. So, he stuck to talking to Kuroo about them - Kuroo was used to it, and he was genuinely interested in the games, so it was a win win.

But Kuroo wasn't there, he was off meeting Tsukishima's parents or something embarrassing like that, and Kenma needed to talk to somebody about how much he loved this game. Bokuto was the victim.

"And right before the final boss fight, the character gets this move that is completely OP - well, my character did, but choosing different paths in the game leads to different finishing moves - but this move is so OP that the final boss stands no chance if you use it right, an-"

Kenma was cut off by a laugh, and he looked up to see Bokuto's eyes squeezed shut and his mouth open around his laughter. When he was finished laughing he looked down at Kenma to explain. "You're such a dork," was all he said, and Kenma was baffled.

His cheeks turned dark red, as they usually did when Bokuto spoke so directly to him, but this time it was because he felt like he had done something wrong - he felt like Bokuto was insulting him. Kenma immediately moved to get out of Bokuto's embrace, faltering in his movements. "S-Sorry, I got carried away, I'll try not to anymore-"

"NO!" Bokuto said, reaching to pull Kenma back into him. Kenma let him, mostly because he was extremely embarrassed still and couldn't will his shaking limbs to move properly, to push Bokuto away. "It's a good thing - my mom calls me a dork all the time, but it's nice. It's meant to be endearing, Kenma. I love how droky you are, and I like that you feel comfortable enough to talk to me about your games so much - it makes me feel like you trust me a little more than you used to."

If Kenma could, he'd assure Bokuto that that's true - he does trust him more. In the last six months of their relationship Bokuto had done nothing but make Kenma feel loved and happy, and the spiky haired male had never done anything to make Kenma not trust him.

He couldn't, however - he could never make his tongue actually form the words he wanted to speak to Bokuto, no matter how trivial they were to the situation at hand. It was early in their relationship, and sometimes Bokuto took the silence as something bad, took Kenma's lack of response as rejection, so Kenma had taken to learning other ways to assure Bokuto he understood and was okay.

Kenma turned in Bokuto's hold, dropping his handheld in the process, and proceeded to crawl into his boyfriend's lap. He rubbed his face into Bokuto's neck like a cat typically would, and Bokuto got the message immediately. He tightened his muscular arms around Kenma's small body and let a large smile cross his face.

"So don't take offense when I call you a dork anymore, okay?"

Kenma hummed an agreement and they stayed like that for what was probably hours, content on Bokuto's couch. 

And next time Kenma didn't hesitate to talk about his games with Bokuto.

*****

This was why Kenma had been unsure about their relationship at first - he knew that when Bokuto got like this, down on himself, he needed verbal reassurance. Words from somebody he loved telling him that he was okay, that nothing was actually wrong with him, that he was a little broken but that was fine. Akaashi did great in that department - he knew exactly the right words to say to get Bokuto out of his head to make the crazy haired spiker forget it all, but Kenma couldn't do that.

Bokuto's bad moods were too much for him sometimes - the older boy would get down about something, and then he'd grow even more sad because he didn't want to be this way. Kenma understood it - he hated his own problems with anxiety, hated his own problems with communication, and he only got more down on himself every time they got too bad because he didn't want to be like this at all - he wanted to be normal, and he knew Bokuto wanted to be normal just as bad.

And if Kenma were just a little more normal he could help Bokuto out better - he could open his mouth and say something, anything to help his boyfriend from feeling like shit, but he couldn't. He felt physically sick when he tried to open his mouth to voice his feelings; he didn't know how to express anything with actual words.

What's worse is here he is, getting down on himself for being a bad boyfriend while Bokuto is curled up alone in their bed crying.

Kenma, pushing his own thoughts aside for a moment, proceeded to start water for tea - or hot chocolate, because Bo would probably like that better - and then thought about what he could do to cheer Bokuto up.

He couldn't say anything, couldn't praise Bokuto like he needed, couldn't assure him with words, so he'd do what he could - cuddle the sad male until he was okay again.

After he had the hot chocolate in two owl mugs - Bokuto's favorite - Kenma continued on to their bedroom, lightly nudging the door open with his foot. The Bokuto sized lump on the bed didn't move, so Kenma took it upon himself to set the cups down on their bedside table and move the blankets off of his boyfriend himself. Bokuto helped in the end, because he didn't want Kenma to struggle, and once the blanket was removed they were staring at each other, face to face.

Kenma finally decided to break the stare and moved to grab the mug of hot chocolate, "here," he said quietly, handing the mug to Bokuto. The older boy moved to sit up and took the cup with a soft 'thank you' before drinking some down. Kenma handed Bokuto his own mug long enough for him to get comfy in Bo's lap and then he was taking it back, drinking the burning liquid with a content sigh. They were quiet for a while then - Bokuto finished his mug of hot chocolate and set the mug down carefully on their bedside table before he hugged Kenma closer, his face burrowing in the smaller boy's neck. "Sorry," Kenma whispered after a while, and Bokuto was sitting up fully again then, eyes wide in confusion.

"For what?" he asked, voice genuinely curious and a little afraid.

Kenma set his own mug down and moved to play with his fingers so he wouldn't have to look at Bokuto while he was speaking. "I'm a bad boyfriend - I can't comfort you like Akaashi or Kuroo can, and I get so ill feeling when I want to. You should have a boyfriend that can make you feel better when you nee-"

"Kenma," Bokuto started, voice unusually serious. "I can assure you that I don't want to be with anybody else - I love you, even if you haven't fully gotten used to my down moods, and I know you love me even though sometimes I don't understand when you need your space. We're not perfect, but that's okay. We're still adapting to each other, and that's even more okay. I don't want to date somebody that I know how to comfort already - that's boring. I like learning about you, Kenma, and I want to work to be able to learn everything about you."

Bokuto made Kenma face him, and the smile on his face was larger than any he'd smiled in days, something that made Kenma's chest warm. "You're a really big dork if you think I don't want to be with you just because it's a little hard sometimes, Kozume Kenma - I love you, okay?"

Kenma nodded, rubbed his nose against Bokuto's. A sort of 'I love you too' to them. Bokuto got the message and smiled wide - they were gonna be okay.

*****

Kenma knew that he shouldn't do this anymore - he was an adult, moved out of his parent's home and into one with Bokuto, but he couldn't help it. The new game was addicting, and he wanted to beat it before anybody had a chance to spoil it for him.

He swore he'd go to bed before one - promised himself and Bokuto many times that he wouldn't stay up all night playing it, but once he'd started playing he hadn't looked away from the screen.

That's how Bokuto found him on the couch, his feet tucked under him and his head bent down to see the screen at 3:16 in the morning.

"Ken," Bokuto said, trying to keep in his yawns. "It's three, what are you still doing up?" Kenma looked up, a little guilty, and Bokuto couldn't stop the fond smile from crossing his face. "Are you still playing that game?"

"Sorry Kou," Kenma started, looking away from Bokuto's eyes to the clock on the wall. "I guess I got a little carried away - it's just really good."

Bokuto chuckled and moved closer to the couch. "You dork," he said fondly, and Kenma's cheeks flushed at the word that was now like a compliment to him. "You gotta come to bed, okay? You can play the game all day tomorrow, I promise I won't bother you, but you've gotta get a little bit of sleep or you're not even gonna be able to enjoy the game properly."

Kenma saved the game and turned off the gaming device before reaching out for Bokuto to carry him.

The muscled man did as was silently requested and picked the smaller boy up before carrying him back to their bed for the night. Kenma was asleep in a matter of minutes, and Bokuto couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. "You dork."

*****

Bokuto wasn't usually one to doubt himself - yeah, when he had downswings he doubted himself a bit, but when he wasn't feeling down he didn't doubt himself. He was sure in his abilities, and if he needed help he didn't put himself down for it. He asked for help proudly and walked away from the situation with more confidence because he knew he was better.

So Kenma was confused when Bokuto looked at him with sad eyes and asked if Kenma loved him.

They were at a wedding - one for one of Kenma's cousins, who had been dying to meet Bokuto - and were still in a pretty public place so Kenma couldn't assure Bokuto with touches right now. "Yes," he said quietly, meeting his boyfriend's gaze.

"You'll love me forever?" A nod from Kenma. "And you want to be with me forever?" Again, a nod. "Even though we can't get married to each other?"

Kenma let his mouth drop open in realization, and he glanced around to make sure nobody was watching them before he moved to sit in Bokuto's lap. He maintained eye contact while he spoke next, something he was very proud of himself for. "What's a piece of paper, really? I know that you love me, and you know that I love you, and the people in our lives that need to know that do."

Kenma leaned closer to Bokuto, resting their foreheads together. "Are you sure? You don't care about marraige?" Bokuto was so unsure that it was making Kenma a little upset, but he allowed a small smile to cross his face anyways, because Bokuto must really love Kenma a lot to be so worried.

"You're such a dork, Koutarou," Kenma said with a soft laugh. It was the first time he'd called Bokuto a dork with the same tone of adoration Bokuto always used. Kenma was going to say more - he was finally going to force himself to do it, to tell Bokuto everything he needed to - but Bokuto didn't let him. That five word sentence seemed to be enough. Bokuto broke out into boisterous laughter, his entire body shaking.

"You're right, Kenma," he said once he was done laughing and a few pairs of eyes had turned towards them. "I am a dork - sorry for doubting you."

Kenma leaned forward, his nose brushing softly against Bokuto's cheek.

'It's okay' that gesture spoke. 'I'm here to stay.'


End file.
